Game



June 24 1924. 1,498,591

P. M. THORN GAME Filed M'arch 3, 192.2

'lj/g'l /1 /6 6 4 THESHOPPIN@ GAME k 7 f v/ (JOHN DOES.

kil

5 IN THE ECONOMYBASEMENT Patented .lune 24, 1924.. ,i

PERCY M. THORN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y-

GAME.

Application filed March 3, 1922. Serial No. 540,706.

To al?, 'whom t may concer/a.- y

Be it known that I, PERCY M. THORN, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to games, and one of the objects is to provide a gaine capable of being played by two or more players, which is very interesting, and which is also v valuable as an advertising medium.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications "of principles, constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplatedv will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein 1 have shown a preferred form of embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a card, showing my improved game.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing a device employed in playing the gaine; and

Figure 3 is an elevational view showing the men or markers which are used inV playing the game.

Referring now to the drawing, the refer.

ence numeral 1 indicates the base or foundation upon which the device or game is printed. 'The reference numeral 2 indicates ably connected by a double line which is.y

divided into a plurality of circular spaces 5, said lines preferably bearing the barbs 6 of arrows to indicate the direction of travel.

Spaces 5 disposed along the lines 4l, may be employed tol indicate the imaginary streets which would have to be crossed by a person travelling vfrom the space marked 2 to the space marked 3. Leadingffroin the space 3 is a double line 7, which travels downwardly substantially midway of the height of the card, thence inwardly as at 8, thence upwardly as at 9, thence laterally as at l0, thence downwardly as at 11, thence laterally as at 12, thence downwardly as at 13, thence laterally as at 14, and thence upwardly as at 15, where it leads to the space indicatedat 2. l

itt this point it may be noted that the space enclosed by the above described line is in the present instance intended to represent a department store, the part indicated generally at A representing the store proper, which may comprise several floors, the space marked B being indicative of the basement of the store.

Located at spaced intervals along the entire line are circularspaces 16, and located intermediate these circular spaces are squares 17, each of which bears a number. Thus the squares in the present instance are numbered froiiil to l5 consecutively, the numbers proceeding in regular order from the space 3 to the space 2. Other characteristic marks are located at various'iiitervals along a devious line heretofore described, which travels from the space 3 to the space 2. These marks in the present instance are indicated by the reference numerals 18, 19, 20 and 21. Every space along the aforesaid devious line, as Aindicated by the circular spaces 16, the numberedsquares 17 or the characteristic marks 18 to 21 inclusive, is in the present instance intended to represent aisles of the store.

Located between parts of the'line 9 and 11 is provided a space C, which contains a column of numbers in the present instance ranging from 1 to 45 inclusive, to correspond' with the` numbersv provided in the aforesaid devious line, and opposite each of these numbers appears a legend, some of which appear in the drawing. The char- ,'acteristic marks 18 to 21 inclusive are also positioned in this space, and have located opposite them legends such as shown in the drawing.

It will be understood that in the game as finally arranged, suitable legends will be located opposite each of the numbers provided-in the space C, some of them having been omitted in the present instance in the interests of clearness of thek illustration.

ln Figure 3 of the drawing I have illus trated certain characteristic men or markers which may be utilized in playing the game. Thus the reference numeral 22 may indicate a child, 23 a .mother of the child,

24 the fath er; it being understood, of course,

lVarious spaces, such as at D may beprovided with-in lthe space enclosed by the afore- 1 said ,deviousl line, vin which spaces may be provided advertisements of the -various :goods -dealt in-by ,the store.

Having thus describedthe construction of f the game which forms :the subgect matter` of my invention, the manner ,ofplayingv 4thesame may now be understood.

lts-may first be notedfthat the present '-game is primarily intended: to` be put out asan advertising medium for-a store `or a, place-.of business handling a line ofv various f fcon'imodities, such for instance as-.a department store. It may for-instance'be publ=lished in a daily newspaper as an advertisement for the store, being changed from day to day, or from week tov week, iny order to bring the different commodities handled by the `estab]ishment .to the attention .of prospective purchasers. iltmay also be distributed by the store to purchasers.

The winner of` the gameiis the person who,l afterinoving his .marker from the home position to :the store, and then along the devious line heretofore deseribechstopping at zthe various spaces, vwhich-spaces are 1 determined by the* spinningsof therarrow ori hand 26 upon theadialf, accumulates the.- largest amount of purchases, that is to say,l therione who, following the directions v*determined by the various positions to which his man or. marker will be moved, -purchases `goods or commodities of Tthe 'greatest money value as determined by the prices lof the commodities purchased. VIt is intended that the persons .playing :the gaine, or their friends, or members of their family, in this way will be brought into closer touch' with the stoie or establishment putting out;

'the game, and the business-.of this store or establishment increased inY Ethis manner.

In` playing the game, :each: o`f1the-fcompetitors is'furnished fwitlr one of .the-men or` markers, and thecontestants;operating ther spinner; or arrow Q6 inY alternationeach 1 contestant moving the 'menor: marker alongi the devious line,` fthe' number ofv spaces, indi- 1' catedy .by the r `number -to @which thei- 4arrow Thenever one of the men7 or the markers is moved to one of the numbered spaces or space indicated by one of the characters 18 to 21 inclusive, the contestant whose .marker had stopped at one ofusaid spaces,

turns to the table appearing under the word -Directionsand follows the instructions set forth in the legend opposite to the number or character upon which his marker is positioned, making the imaginary purchases indicated, and writingv the sums of the various purchases in a column, each contestant of .coursehavinga separate column.

Then .the game has been completed and the markers` moved .throughout the entire extent of. the aforesaid devious line, the numbers composing the columns of each of ,the contestants are added.uptogetherand the contestant VAhaving the highest sum of the ,imaginary purchases isL the winner ot Ythe gaine; .itibeingobvious of coui'se that each contestant mayy play` with two or more in'iaginarynpersons. .For instance ,a .child may takehis mother on father on therafore- .said imaginary shopping tour; the other contestant taking the remainingparent or relative with him, it being `understood of course that each contestant will play with an equal number of markers.

liloreover, as above indicated, other `markers may be provided whereby. any number y-of contestants may play thegame, ,the men or markers being differently colored,or differently shaped, so that each contestant will bevable to,selectrandinaintain hisown manor marker. During .the-playingof the game, the attention ofthe contestant is of course directed to the various advertisements *whichy appear along the .devious line along which. his .man or marker isinoved during the .progress of theA game.

It will accordingly beseen that, I vhave provided a game .which is not-only of great interest, butwhich maybe-also ofggreat advertisingvalue whilein the present instance the ,gamek is shownasadapted .to a departmentstore, other variations may be readily provided, whereby. any merchantdesiring to advertise his goodsmay ,utilize it y for .his benefit.

Another feature of the game which lends -interest thereto is thatfin certain of the leg- -endsf provide-d t-he .contestant `is allowed to snake-selective, purchases, Ithe amount specilied not being determined. For instance, when va contestantr realizes that he isahead in the, game, and his marker is moved yto a lAsmanyV changes could beV made-,in this e points whenfthefrlattercomesffto'resu'; after s construction without ffdeparting fromA the being spun by a contestant,

scope of the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying dra-Wing shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as nevs7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a game of the class described, the combination With a base member, of a home station thereon, a devious line starting at said home station and returning thereto in a closed path, a plurality of stations along said line, one of Which is indicat-ive of a department store or like establishment, the others indicating various departments of, said store, a plurality of markers adapted to be moved from said home station along said line, an indicator to control the progress of said markers along said line from station to station, a series of compartments on said base member adjacent said stations, and having listed thereon items of merchandise, and a chart mounted on said base and having indicia thereon to indicate the purchases made in each department, and also further to control the Amovements of said markers.

2. In a game of the class described, the combination With a base member having a home station thereon, and a closed devious line passing through said home station, and a plurality of other stations indicative lof the departments of a department store, or like establishment, of a series of compartments sub-dividing the space Within said devious line, each of Which compartments represents one of the departments of said establishment, and is provided therein With a list of items of merchandise, each of said compartments being represented by a station on Said line, a plurality of competing markers movable in turn from station to station along said line, a rotatable indicator to control the primary steps in the progress of said markers, and a chart mounted on said base'member, and having indicia thereon appropriate to each station, said indicia controlling the secondary movement of said markers.

3. In a game of the class described, the combination of a base member, of a home station thereon, a closed devious line passing through said home station, and a plurality of other stations on said line, some of said stations being indicative of a department store or like establishment, and of the variout departments therein, a plurality of lines subdividing the space enclosed by said devious line into a series of compartments representing departments of said store, each of said compartments being represented by a station, a plurality of competin markers of diverse form movable along sai line from station to station, a rotatable indicator to control the primary steps in the progress of said markers along said line, and a chart on said base member having indicia thereon corresponding to said stations, and thereby said departments, the indicia of said chart representing purchases on said departments and also controlling the secondary steps in the movements of said markers.

In testimony vvhereof, I aiiix my signature in the presence of tvvo Witnesses.

PERCY M. THORN. Vitnesses:

EMMA WEINBERG, DOROTHY A. WARD. 

